Cable connecter



L. H. CHURCH 1,850,533

CABLE CONNECTER March 22, 1932.

original Filed April-2, 192.6

INVENTOR BY @f/@40" f ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT OFI-Ica LEWIS H. CHURCH, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T THETHOMAS & BETTS CO., 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEYCABLE `GONNECIER Original application led April 2, 1926, Serial No.99,204. Divided and this application led December 31, 1926. Serial No.158,146.

This invention relates to cable connecters used in anchoring cable toelectric outlet boxes and the like, and relates in particular to a.connecter capable of anchoring various sizes and shapes of cable tooutlet boxes.

This application is a division of U. S. application Serial Number99,204, liled April 2nd, 1926.

The object of this invention is the provision of a cableconnectervhaving an improved cable bearing clamp plate by which pressurefrom the connecter operating means is delivered to the cable and bywhich the operating means is prevented from crushing or mutilating thecable. Accordingly the bearing clamp plate is coupled. hinged, orotherwise joined within a cable connecter sleeve along an axis parallelto the axis of the sleeve or cable, and is disposed transversely of orover a cable inserted in the sleeve.

More particularly, a connecter sleeve having an expansible endfor-anchoring it in the box hole or any othersuitable form of box holeanchorage means, is longitudinally split and carries, inside thereof asan extension of one edge of one split, ab'earing clamp plate extendinginwardly across the interior of the connecter for engagement; byoperating means, such as a screw,fcarried with the sleeve, the screwacting to bear on the clamp plate thereby clamping'itagainst a cable.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a connecterwhich., shall be easily, conveniently andcheaply manufactured. To thisend the connecter member is formed from a single sheet or stampingincluding the novel clamp plate which is, curled into the sleeve andassumes the desired shape to be engaged by the operating screwthreadedthrough the sleeve.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for theirattainment will be more apparent from the following 'detailed i5description, taken in connection with the acf companying drawingsillustrating'an example thereof, inv which:

Figure l shows a fiat sheet metal stamping or blank from which theconnecter is'fash- 50 ioned; and Figure 2 shows the sleeve plates andbearing clamp plate of the blank as having been pressed into curvilinearform.

Figure 3 shows end views of the connecter, looking from both endsthereof.

Figure 4 shows respectively a longitudinal sectional and sideelevational view of the completed connecter.

Figure 5 is a box assembly view showing an armored cable anchored withina hole or knockout opening in an outlet box by means of the improvedconnecter which is shown as sectioned on the line 5-5 of Figure 6; andFigure 6 is a sectional view of the box assembly.

Electric outlet boxes B are made with knockout openings or holes H toreceive the cable C to be anchored therein by cable connecters and theinsulation covered wires W are manipulated inside the box B to makeelectrical connections in the usual way.

There is shown in Figure 1 a sheet metal blank comprising spaced sleeveplates l0 and 11 formed integrally with a connecting portion or annulussuch as the cable entry ring 12 or sleeve end ring. One of the sleeveplates say 10 is tapped as at 13 for the reception of operating means,i. e. the screw 19 Which acts as operating means to simultaneouslyanchorthe connecter in a box hole and secure a cable in the connecter.

The other plate, 11 includes a bearing clamp plate 14 definedl by anelongated hole 15 punched therein as weakening means. e Thus the cableclamp plate 14 is attached to the sleeve plate 11, the clamp plate beingthus connected tol th-e'sleeve plate by bending or hinge necks 16 so asto be easily bent relative to the plate 11. The clam plate is carriedby-one of the lengthwise e ges of the sleeve plate and the slot 15 formsone side or edge of the sleeve.

The flat plate or blank of Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2 as having beensubmitted to a forming or pressing operation which shapes the flatsleeve plates 10 andll to substantially semi-cylindrical portions andfurthermore curves the bearing clamp plate 14 inwardly toward the plate11 but on a smaller radius of curvature than that of plate 11. The

curved sleeve sections or portions 10 and 11 are then caused to approachone another by bending them together along or at the necks 17 to form agenerally cylindrical or sleeve type connecter member through which acable may pass underneath the bearing clamp plate 14.

Fifrures 3 and 4 show the connecter 1nV its completed form. Operatingmeans, such as the screw 19, is threaded into the tapped hole 13 and thelower end of the screw ordinarily seats against the clamp plate 14. Itis tov be noted that the screw is carried in one 'sleeve plate 1() whileits end bears against the bearing clamp plate 14 flexibly hingedpreferably to the other' sleeve plate 11, and by running the screwinwardly the bearing clamp plate 14 is driven into the connecter passageto enage and partly surround the cable C inserted 11n the sleeves 10 and11.

While one of the features claimed in the copending application wa'sanimproved box hole anchorage means applicable to knockout openings ofdifferent sizes and while the same series of grooves or corrugations 21and i 22 are here illustrated in thc drawings, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to any particular type of box holeanchorage means but that any other means to anchor the connecter in abox hole may be adopted. As illustrated, the box hole anchorage meanscomprise several annulaigrooves 21 and 22 of a plurality of sizescapable of accommodating the sleeve connecter and anchoring to as manydifferent size box holes.v f

The punched opening 15 hereinbefore mentioned interrupts one of thecorrugations-defining the larger box hole groove 22 and by reasonthereof breaks the rigidity imparted by said circular corrugation andtherefore causes the flexible clamp plate 14 to be joined onto the rigidcorrugated sleeve portion 11 at the terminus of the corrugated andgrooved structure.

It is to be noted that the bearing clamp plate 14 lies transversely ofthe axis and tends to wrap around the cable C with considerable pressurewhen brought down to engagement therewith under action of the operatingscrew 19.x By forming the cable clamp plate 14 transversely of the cableaxis, the manufacture of the blanks and the complete sleeve connecter10-11 is facilitated and the transverse bearing clamp 14 aids inclosing' the connecter sleeve 10-11 around the cable C. Furthermore, theclamp plate 14 serves to close lthe split 24 formed by the proximateedges of the sleeve plates 10 and 11 and prevents the admission ofplaster. lVhen smaller size cable C is anchored in the box B, the end 25of the clamp plate 14, when the clamp plate 14 is depressed by the screw19, serves to also close the other sleeve split 26.

While it is to be understood that any type of box hole anchorage may beavailed of, it

is obvious that the movement of the screw 1f) against the clamp plate 14seated on a cablel (l serves to react and expand the sleeve 10-11 and isthus ejiiectual in expanding the box hole anchorage groove or grooves 21or 22 within the knockout opening H and thus fix the connecter in 'a boxand secure a cable therein.

It is now seen that a cable connecter is produced which includesoppositely arranged T-shaped slots, the longitudinal slots 24 and 26bisecting its respective radial slot 3i). From out of one of thelongitudinal slots as 24 there comes the pivotal bearing clamp plate 14arching over the cable inside the sleeve beneath the operating means 19.The clamp plate hingedly operates parallel to the radial slots 30, andit is the latter slots which define the sleeve bending necks 17 topermit connecter expansion and consequent anchorage in a box hole.

The two slots 24 and 26 are in effect closed by the laterally movablecable clamp plate 14 for its end 25 can if desired be made long enoughto wrap over the cable C within the sleeve and intercept the oppositeslot 26 as shown in Figure 5 and indicated by the reference character 32designating an extra long curved end on the clamp plate 14, the resultof which is to cause the lengthwise slot 26 to be overlapped inside tocover it against entry of dirt or plaster. y

The curved cable bearing clamp plate 14 together with the sleeve section11`may be considered as forming a variable size cable receiving sleeve11-14 and this sleeve is variable in size to receive any size cable. Onthe other hand the sleeve 10--11 functions as a box hole sleeve to fitinto a box hole H. Thus there are two sleeves, virtually one withinanother, the outer sleeve forming as it does, a part of the innersleeve.

The outer or box hole sleeve fits into any size box hole Within itsrange while the inner or cable receiving sleeve fits any cable withinits range. Thus the two interrelated sleeves working together take anysize cable and any size box hole.

What I claim is:

1. A connecter comprising, a longitudinally split connecter member, boxhole anchorage means therefor, a bearing clamp plate hinged to theconnecter along one edge of a split, and operating means to move thebeflrl;

ing clamp plate against a cable and to expand the box hole anchoragemeans.

' 2. A connecter comprising, a connecter member having diametricallydisposed longitudinal splits, box hole anchorage means therefor, acurved bearing clamp plate hinged to the Connecter along one edge of onesplit and extending across the interior of the member, and operatingmeans to force the bearing clamp plate against a cable and to expand thebox hole anchorage means.

3. A connecter comprising, a connecter sleeve having diametricallydisposed longitudinally extending splits, box hole anchorage meanstherefor, a curvilinear bearing clamp 5 plate hinged to the connecteralong one edge of one split and extending across the interior to theother split, and operating means to move the bearing clamp plate againsta cable andsubstantially close the second named split and to expand thebox hole anchorage means.

4. A connecter formed from a flat stamping including a pair of spacedsleeve plates united by a connecting annulus and a bearing clamp plateintegral with one sleeve plate and bendable thereon along a perforatedline parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve plates, said sleeveplates being pressed into a generally cylindrical sleeve formation withthe bearing clamp plate curved-therewithin on a shorter radius than thatof the sleeve, oneof said plates being tapped to receive an operatingscrew to bear on the clamp plate.

5. A connecter comprising, a fiat stamping including a pair of spacedsleeve plates integrally joined by a connecting portion, a Hat clampplate integral with one sleeve plate and bendable thereon along an axisparallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve plates, said sleeveplates being pressed into circular formation and bent together over theconnecting portion to produce a sleeve, said clampv plate being curvedinside the sleeve on a shorter radius than that defined by the sleeve, ascrew mounted in one sleeve plate and bearing against the Yclamp plate,and box hole anchorage means carried with the connecter end opposite theconnecting portion and rendered effective by the operation of the screwand clamp plate.

6. A connecter comprising, a sleeve provided with T-shaped slotsincluding circumferential and lengthwise slits which form-sleevesections joined at one end by a ring andjexpansible at the otherend, box hole 4 anchorage means carried with the connecter expansibleend, a cable clamp plate integral withv one sleeve section along alengthwise slit and projecting through that slot and over a cablepassage therein, said sleeve and clamp plate having a weakening slot inline with the lengthwise sleeve slit and forming a bending neck by whichthe clamp plate is integral aforesaid with the sleeve, and operatingmeans carried with the connecter adapted to bear on the clamp plate andexpand the box' hole anchorage means.

7. A connecter comprising, a sleeve provided with opposedcircumferential slots proximate one end thereof forming a ring o andopposed necks integral with the ring, opposed lengthwise slots bisectingthe circumferential slots between the necks and forming opposedexpansible sleeve sections each of which is integral with a neck afore-05 said, a clamp plate joined by a bendableneck to one edge of a sleevesection and projected through the adjacent lengthwise slot into thesleeve and movable therein parallel to the plane of the radial slots,box hole anchorage means carried with the expansible sleeve sections,and operatin means adapted to force against the clamp p ate and expandthe anchorage means.

8. `A connecter comprising a member including aplurality of box holeanchoragemeans of different sizes adapted to iit into box holes ofdifferent sizes, a clamp plate hinged at one end thereof to the memberand free at the other end to clamp against different size cables and toprotect the cable against mutilation by the operating means, andoperating means to apply pressure to the clamp plate thereby clampingthe cable to the connecter and expanding the anchorage means in the boxopening.

9. A connecter comprising a member including a plurality of box holeanchorage the member on a line parallel to the axis of the connecteradapted to clamp the cable and protect itagainst being crushed by theoperating means, and operating means carried with the member to applypresure to the clamp plate.

l1. A connecter comprising an expansible sleeve formed with a pluralityof graduated in size box hole anchorage grooves, a cable clamp platejoined to the sleeve 'along a bending axis parallel to the sleeve axisand .Y

extending transversely over a cable when inserted in the sleeve adaptedto clamp the cable and protect it against being crushed by the operatingmeans, and operating means to actuate the clamp plate and expand thesleeve and anchorage grooves.

l2. A connecter comprising a sleeve slotted .on opposite sides andformed with a plurality of graduated in size box hole anchorage grooves,a cable clamp plate adapted to clamp the cable and protect it againstbeing crushed by the operating means and carried with the sleeve andattached thereto along an edge of one slot and extending across theinterior to the other slot, and operating means for the clamp plate andto expand the sleeve.

13. A connecter comprising a sleeve slotted Y on opposite sides formingexpansible sleeve sections and formed at one end with a, plurality ofbox hole anchorage grooves graduated in diameter and including a ring atthe other ond integrally joined to the sleeve sections. a cable clampplate adapted to clamp the cable and protect it against being crushed bvthe operating means and carried with the sleeve along one edge of oneslot and extending across the interior of the sleeve to the other slot,and an operating means to actuate the clamp platewhcreby cable ofdifferent diameters may b'e clamped and to eX- pand the graduated sizegrooves.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

LEVIS H. CHURCH.

